Nanook
by BountyHunter1009
Summary: "Every living soul that I've ever known, will know, and will never live to meet, has a story worth telling; and before I die, I shall document as many of their stories as I can."
1. Entry One: Nanook

Nanook,

I, Jinora, write you from my hiding place in the rafters. It's cold up here at night, but to me, it's my sanctuary. Up here, I can look out onto Republic City, look into the hearts of the world, and think upon the many marvels that take place upon our great planet. Reflection is where I find peace, and until my spiritual peace is realized, I shall reflect further.

This is where it starts, Nanook; my journey. Every person has a story to be told, and it is my most sincere hope that I will become the world's voice and unfold their secrets. Every living soul that I've ever known, will know, and will never live to meet, has a story worth telling, and before I die, I shall document as many of their stories as I can. Of course, I cannot tell one person's story in one sitting, nor can I fully understand what any one person feels; but, what I can do is write what I know, write what has occurred, and allow history to take care of the rest.

Now I shall leave you to rest, Nanook. I've already stayed up late enough for my sleep-cycle to be corrupted; I shall leave you until there is a story to be told. I will write you again soon, but until my quill caresses your skin once more, our paths must diverge.

Jinora


	2. Entry Two: Mako

Nanook,

Mako is something of a tragedy, and yet, a character to whom young children can look up. As I understand it (my knowledge being gained from snippets of others' conversations), he was born into a happy family, and had nothing but eight years of bliss for a childhood. His father was a respectable gentleman who loved his wife and children, cherishing in their success and happiness; his mother, a beauty, was as nurturing and caring as a saber-tooth-moose-lion. Their bonds were as strong as the tightest of knots, and yet, tragedy was still able to strike at their hearts.

I was able to procure three separate newspaper clippings from one decade ago, and just as I had feared, the editors have given the family only a sentence's-worth of ink. There is no beautiful eulogy, no story that describes the horrors that have happened, and worst of all, not one single description of the assailant who so cruelly soiled the innocents' minds. Despite this, I was able to gather two pieces of solid fact: it was nighttime when the marauder attacked the family, and much like the countless other muggers who roam the streets, he demanded every valuable that the family had to offer at the price of their lives. The family, wanting nothing more than to protect their young ones, handed over their jewelry, clothing, and coins. They were left naked and ashamed, embarrassed and abashed; but the thief had not finished with them: instead of leaving, he let loose a wave of fire that consumed the very likes of Mako's parents. He was left on the street with his brother, Bolin, alone and confused. He had no other family; he had no place to go. The only thing that kept him from collapsing was his will to survive, his need to protect his younger brother. To be honest, Nanook, I cannot in my wildest dreams imagine how he managed, but against all odds, he made it with Bolin for ten whole years.

Now, in ASC 170, Mako is an eighteen year old with jet-black hair and light orange eyes. His muscles are a force to be reckoned with, as are his general looks and demeanor. His hair cuts jaggedly around his forehead and comes to a close around the middle of his neck; his biceps peek graciously from underneath his clothes; and his stern expression gives most, if not all women, a shiver. In general, he is a very kind, thoughtful person. I can't say for certain why he is so quiet, or why he feels such a strong connection with Korra, the Avatar, but I can say that he is a person who will go to great lengths to protect those he loves. One day, when Bolin was captured, the fear in his soul was as evident as my brother Meelo's constant need to, should we say, 'airbend.' His gestures and reactions were quite powerful, especially coming from a teenaged male. I admire him for this, Nanook, as I believe all people should.

As for his relationship with the Avatar, I know little. I believe that he has feelings for her, and I know that she is indeed pining for him; however, neither Mako nor Korra has done anything to hasten the romance, and for this reason, this particular tangent ends: for now.

To me, Mako is a person with whom one can trust their life. He displays signs of general respect for all who surround him, and in addition, a sense of elderly love. While this is all I can truly say about Mako now, more knowledge is certain to be bestowed upon me, knowledge that I will immediately bestow upon you.

Jinora


	3. Entry Three: Bolin

Nanook,

Bolin, brother to Mako, has a similar story to the handsome firebender; and yet, the emotions that shape him are a horse of another color. He was born two years after Mako in what I'm told was the same local hospital, and lived a happy life with his family until the age of six. Then, on that fateful evening as described in Mako's first entry, his parents were murdered. As a young child, he was extremely open and loving, always running around or testing out his newly found earthbending skills; Bolin was an adventurous kid; but for him, things were to change drastically. No more would Bolin sprint around the block like a madman, chasing after the sketchy looking fire ferret he named Pabu; no more would he race his brother Mako to the store; no more would his childhood be carefree: his childhood was no more.

And yet, Nanook, Bolin lucked out in one single aspect of the tragedy: his brother, Mako, who molded himself into what was to be one of the most protective and caring siblings, allowed Bolin to enjoy himself more than the average orphan. Mako supervised Bolin at the park, the theater (once every six months, as I gathered from a conversation between Mako and Asami), and the extremely rare trip to the mountains just outside of the city. Bolin, on these excursions, was able to experience something akin to a normal childhood; however, they only occurred when money allowed, or when Bolin's constant nagging got the better of Mako. During the months where no special privileges were to be appropriated, Mako would deal with the Triple Threat Triad while Bolin, who was only seven when Mako began working with the gang, began a circus show with Pabu on the main shopping street.

His act was fairly similar to today's show, the introduction consisting of a few leaps and bounds over assorted sticks and objects found around the house; the main act being Pabu jumping through a flaming hoop and landing on his front paws; and the finale involving an earthbending nightmare for the small rodent. Bolin, on an especially gracious day, would receive between twenty and thirty yuans; his brother, with the Triple Threats, would wheel in two hundred yuans. Bolin, who was still young at heart, thought that the pair was rolling in dough; however, Mako always knew better, and because of their situation, became financially frugal and responsible.

Bolin continued to develop his relationship with his pet for many years, but as the years went by, he could sense that his brother was becoming tenser and noticeably detached from his life. As I was told by Bolin himself, when he turned twelve, he took it upon himself to assist in his brother's gang-activity. Mako, who wanted nothing more than to protect his brother, resisted at first, but after assuring him that his earthbending was good enough to get out of any danger, allowed for Bolin to accompany him on a brief mission. I wasn't able to find any real details about what went on, but from my recent observations of the brother's closeness and comfort together, I can only assume that they were involved in some kind of fighting situation. I understand that they adamantly refuse to being associated with illegal acts, but I can almost tell you one hundred percent positively that what they did for the Triple Threats was 'objectionable.'

Whatever they did, Nanook, it helped create a bond between the two brothers that seems to be strong enough to survive fanciful and scandalous romances, something that I shall give you detail about in an entry soon to come, Nanook: my entry about the Avatar.

Jinora


	4. Entry Four: Tenzin

Nanook,

Tenzin, son of Avatar Aang and Katara, has so many stories; but still, even with his adventurous past, he keeps all but the outline of his life a secret. Even though I am his daughter, most of his life has been hidden from me. I sought the truth when I turned ten years old, and still to this day, have not found a satisfactory amount of knowledge. I really can only tell you, Nanook, what most everybody knows of him.

Tenzin is the youngest son of Aang and Katara, and even from a young age it was noted that he wasn't like his two siblings. While Kya, his older sister, frolicked in the water constantly, touting her bending abilities, Tenzin slept with his eyes closed, never uttering a sound until the age of four. While his brother, Bumi, paraded rambunctiously around the house grabbing everything in a two-handed fist, Tenzin sat peacefully with his mind at ease.

Then, when Tenzin was four, his brother and sister ganged up on him with the intent of opening his perpetually closed eyes. The duo waited until the rest of the family had gone to bed before silently opening up Tenzin's sliding door. They crept over next to his bed, and in the heat of the moment, lunged out at their baby sibling. On contact with the children and the toddler, Tenzin's eyes opened, and a massive blast of air sent both siblings flying through the wall behind them. While Aang and Katara frantically aided their two wounded children, Tenzin fell fast asleep once more, keeping his eyes as locked together as ever.

Over the years, his bending was found to be extremely powerful. He was a diligent, focused, and conscientious worker. Tenzin's dedication to his craft was remarkable; and even Toph Bei Fong, the toughest of critics, was impressed. He developed a new form of Aang's air scooter, a wheel powerful enough to return heavy blows that opponents might deal him. He was always nimble, agile, and quick-witted. His hours spent training alone on Air Temple Island helped him get ahead of where his father wanted him, while his one-on-one lessons with him, Avatar Aang helped guide him in the right direction.

As a kid, he spent most of his time by himself. He didn't have many friends, but being a pacifist and positive thinker, never had many enemies, if any at all. Lin Bei Fong, a friend from early childhood, eventually became his first love. She would have been his last, had it not been for Pema, the woman who stole his heart and married him. Lin, even having grown apart from Tenzin based on their different views over the years, was devastated; and if I'm correct in saying this, Nanook, she still loves him to this day.

It's a strange thought, really, to have one's 'aunt' still be in love with the father who knowingly loves his wife, not the outlier. As awkward a situation as it sounds, Nanook, Lin and Tenzin worked out their differences, albeit in an odd way. I have been told of many stories of them together, most of which I shall document later. Now, the basics and background of Tenzin, my father, are all that are necessary. To better understand my father's relationship with his first lover, Lin Bei Fong's life shall be next; she is a character who is very difficult to understand; a character who doesn't wish to be understood; a character who may not even understand herself.

Jinora


	5. Entry Five: Lin

Nanook,

Fifty years ago, in the year 120 ASC, Lin Bei Fong, daughter of Toph Bei Fong, was born. It was 20 years after the Hundred Year War when Lin was born, to the greatest Earthbender the world had ever known, and a father unbeknownst to anyone in my family. I cannot say why Lin chooses not to reveal her father; or, on a darker note, if she is even aware of who he is. It saddens me, Nanook, this fact; I cannot imagine being cut off from an entire half of my family; if I were not to know my father- never mind, Nanook.

Lin was taught the basics of earthbending at an age rather young. She practiced from dawn until dusk, and did not rest until her mother was happy; she never stopped bending. She started with pebbles and moved onto boulders; she formed shapeless blocks until she could mold the most delicate structures; and finally, when she was old enough, she took on the most arduous form of earthbending: metal.

Before she could even touch metal, of course, Toph made her daughter learn to respect the earth; she made Lin feel her surroundings, recognize the individual pieces of earth; memorize the terrain in an instant, all with one connection of foot and ground. She improved exponentially, starting as the young girl that she was, and morphing into the master that was her mother. To begin her metal training, Toph had Lin bend coins from many feet away. She told me this story one day: "She would place the coin across the room, so I couldn't touch it; and she would put it on a metal desk, so that I would have to go through it to get to the coin. She was clever, my mother. She made me focus on the small, circular disk; she made me focus all of my energy on it, until I felt numb. But I kept trying, until I could do it. I kept trying until I could make the coin do what I wanted; it must have been months before I could do it. And then, after I thought I had mastered the art, my mother told me that I wasn't anywhere near being finished, and that the next morning, I had to move onto road signs in the city; and after that, I might be able to perform some real metalbending. I got there, eventually, but it took grueling effort over a period of years; she amazed me, my mother, with her incredible bending, but I was able to get close to matching her skills, and was even able to improve her abilities in some areas. I love my city, and I love my bending, but I love my mother even more."

This quote, Nanook, was, as you can imagine, extremely difficult to obtain. I sat down with Lin one day, as I previously mentioned, and had to write down what she said word for word in a tornado of fury. She started out in her normal, soft-spoken voice, but then she kept going, and let her true emotions out. It was inspiring, Nanook, to see Lin like that; I think she really let go of her usual, reserved self. This leads me to my real point, Nanook: I do not know much about Lin. She is secretive and in the shadows. I was not alive when she was involved with Tenzin, and I know little of the relationship; however, I will tell you what I know. Some of it, at least.

I was told that in the middle of their joyous months, they went out to a noodle shop. They sat on the same side of a booth, covered in red leather. Tenzin wrapped his arm around her; they slurped their noodles. And then, Nanook, when they were smiling more than they ever had, the Triple Threats broke in to rob the joint. They ran to the cashier and threw him on his back, and as soon as they had, my dad and Lin sprang into action. Tenzin knocked both of the gang members onto their sides; one blew a massive ring of fire around him. Lin responded with a flurry of spikes launching the men into the air. After quick reciprocal blows by Tenzin, the thefts were on their way.

"Lin! Are you okay?"

"Yes, Tenzin; thank you."  
"No, Lin, you are who we should all be thanking."

I was told they kissed. Right there, right then; while it is strange to think of my father kissing another woman, seemingly one whom he loved, it is also nice. I love Lin, I love my father, and while I will document as much of both of them as I can, they are tricky people to understand, despite my deep ties to both of them. I hope you learned a lot, Nanook; I had to research a lot for this entry. I cannot decide who to write about next. If you could suggest things, Nanook, that would be phenomenal; if there is bending, and there are spirits, then certainly you could respond. Until then,

Jinora


	6. Entry Six: Meelo

Nanook,

I apologize for my absence; my studies have pulled me to my wit's end. I am doing fine now, however, and thus have decided to write about my brother, Meelo. I do not have much to say about Meelo. He is an interesting character, to say the least. He was born in 165 ASC, if that interests you. He enjoys chewing for reasons foreign to me, and his Fart Bending has become rather "weaponized" in weeks passed. Meelo enjoys sleeping, as well as flirting with women. I am a woman, Nanook, and as years pass, I realize I do not understand men. They are strange and utterly inscrutable.

Meelo is but a child, yet I can feel the power he will reveal as he ages. Already he is a powerful bender. I cannot imagine his strength in years to come, although I am sure it will be immense. His teenage years will be anything but dull; I can promise you that, Nanook.

Jinora


End file.
